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The Vilna Gaon, Rav Eliyahu ben Shlomo, 1720 - 1797, Vilna, Lithuania, was one of the most significant figures in the intellectual history of Judaim of the last few hundred years. Also known commonly as the "GRA" (גר"א-an acronym for גאון רבי אליהו/Gaon Rabbi Eliyahu), he earned the title "Gaon", meaning "genius", in reflection of his staggering command of Rabbinic and Kaablistic literature. His halakhic writings reflect a commitment to original sources-establishing the early, Talmudic bases for all subsequent positions. In addition to his prowess in Torah learning, he ascribed importance to worldly knowledge and wrote books on grammar and mathematics. He fiercely opposed the spread of Hasidut, which arose in his lifetime, on account of its alleged laxity regarding halakhah and tradition. The Lithuanian yeshivah model developed by his students, particularly R. Chaim of Volozhin, continues to bear his imprint to this day.
Parashat Mas‘ei (Bemidbar 33:30-39)
| And they traveled from Hashmona and encamped at Moserot. And they traveled from Moserot and encamped at Benei Ya‘aqan. And they traveled from Benei Ya‘aqan and encamped at Hor haGidgod. And they traveled from Hor haGidgod and encamped at Yotvat. And they traveled from Yotvat and encamped at ‘Avronah. And they traveled from ‘Avronah and encamped at ‘Etzion Gaver. And they traveled from ‘Etzion Gaver and encamped in the Wilderness of Tzin, which is Qadesh. And they traveled from Qadesh and encamped at Hor haHar, at the edge of the land of Edom. And Aharon the Priest ascended Hor haHar by the word of H and died there in the 40th year of the exodus of the children of Israel from the land of Egypt, in the fifth month, on the first of the month. And Aharon was 123 years old at his death at Hor haHar. | וַיִּסְעוּ מֵחַשְׁמֹנָה וַיַּחֲנוּ בְּמֹסֵרוֹת: וַיִּסְעוּ מִמֹּסֵרוֹת וַיַּחֲנוּ בִּבְנֵי יַעֲקָן: וַיִּסְעוּ מִבְּנֵי יַעֲקָן וַיַּחֲנוּ בְּחֹר הַגִּדְגָּד: וַיִּסְעוּ מֵחֹר הַגִּדְגָּד וַיַּחֲנוּ בְּיָטְבָתָה: וַיִּסְעוּ מִיָּטְבָתָה וַיַּחֲנוּ בְּעַבְרֹנָה: וַיִּסְעוּ מֵעַבְרֹנָה וַיַּחֲנוּ בְּעֶצְיוֹן גָּבֶר: וַיִּסְעוּ מֵעֶצְיוֹן גָּבֶר וַיַּחֲנוּ בְמִדְבַּר צִן הִוא קָדֵשׁ: וַיִּסְעוּ מִקָּדֵשׁ וַיַּחֲנוּ בְּהֹר הָהָר בִּקְצֵה אֶרֶץ אֱדוֹם: וַיַּעַל אַהֲרֹן הַכֹּהֵן אֶל הֹר הָהָר עַל פִּי יְקֹוָק וַיָּמָת שָׁם בִּשְׁנַת הָאַרְבָּעִים לְצֵאת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם בַּחֹדֶשׁ הַחֲמִישִׁי בְּאֶחָד לַחֹדֶשׁ: וְאַהֲרֹן בֶּן שָׁלֹשׁ וְעֶשְׂרִים וּמְאַת שָׁנָה בְּמֹתוֹ בְּהֹר הָהָר: |
Parashat ‘Eqev (Devarim 10:6-7)
| And the children of Israel traveled from the wells of Benei Ya‘aqan to Moserah; there Aharon died and was buried there, and his son El‘azar ministered in his stead. From there they traveled to Gudgod and from Gudgod to Yotvat, a land of brooks of water. | בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל נָסְעוּ מִבְּאֵרֹת בְּנֵי יַעֲקָן מוֹסֵרָה שָׁם מֵת אַהֲרֹן וַיִּקָּבֵר שָׁם וַיְכַהֵן אֶלְעָזָר בְּנוֹ תַּחְתָּיו: מִשָּׁם נָסְעוּ הַגֻּדְגֹּדָה וּמִן הַגֻּדְגֹּדָה יָטְבָתָה אֶרֶץ נַחֲלֵי מָיִם: |
The Hebrew "שָׁם מֵת אַהֲרֹן", in context, means "there Aharon died", as translated here. However, grammatically, it could mean "there Aharon was dead". This grammatical ambiguity will be the key for the Mekhilta's resolution of the apparent contradiction.
| Mekhilta d'R. Yishmael, BeShallah (VaYisa 1, s.v., "VaYasa Mosheh") | ּמכילתא דרבי ישמעאל, בשלח (מס' דויסע פרשה א ד"ה ויסע משה) |
| Likewise, we find that they returned eight stations for Aharon's dignity, for his burial, as is said, "And the children of Israel traveled from the wells of Benei Ya‘aqan to Moserah; there Aharon died..." (Dev. 10:6). But did he die at Moserah? Didn't he actually die at Hor haHar, as is said, "And Aharon the Priest ascended [Hor haHar by the word of H and died there]" (Bemidbar 33:38)? What is meant by "there Aharon was dead and was buried there" (Dev., ibid.)? It teaches that they turned backward eight stations for Aharon's dignity, for his burial, as is said, "And they traveled from Moserot and encamped at Benei Ya‘aqan...and they encamped at Hor haGidgod, and they traveled from Hor haGidgod and encamped at Yotvat, and they traveled from Yotvat and encamped at ‘Avronah, and they traveled from ‘Avronah and encamped at ‘Etzion Gaver, and they traveled from ‘Etzion Gaver and encamped at the Wilderness of Tzin, which is Qadesh, and they traveled from Qadesh, and encamped at Hor haHar (Bemidbar 33:31-37). | וכן מצינו שחזרו לכבודו של אהרן לקבורתו שמונה מסעות שנ' "ובני ישראל נסעו מבארות בני יעקן [מוסרה] שם מת אהרן וגו'" (דברים י:ו). וכי במוסרה מת והלא לא מת אלא בהר ההר, שנ' "ויעל אהרן הכהן וגו'" (במדבר לג:לח)? ומה ת"ל "שם מת אהרן ויקבר שם" אלא מלמד שחזרו לאחוריהם לכבודו של אהרן לקבורתו שמונה מסעות, שנ' "ויסעו ממוסרות ויחנו בבני יעקן...ויחנו בחור הגדגד, ויסעו מחור הגדגד ויחנו ביטבתה ויסעו מיטבתה ויחנו בעברונה, ויסעו מעברונה ויחנו בעציון גבר, ויסעו מעציון גבר ויחנו במדבר צין הוא קדש, ויסעו מקדש ויחנו בהר ההר" (במדבר לג:לא-לז). |
Yitro's Departure from the Israelites
The Torah is unclear as to the circumstances of Yitro's departure from the Israelites. The simplest read of parashah indicates that after the establishment of the justice system, Mosheh sent Yitro on his way (Shemot 18:27):
| Then Mosheh sent his father-in-law off and he went to his own land. | וַיְשַׁלַּח מֹשֶׁה אֶת חֹתְנוֹ וַיֵּלֶךְ לוֹ אֶל אַרְצוֹ. |
However, Bemidbar 10:29-32 indicates that Yitro declined Mosheh's request that he continue with them, and returned to his people solely of his own choice:
| Mosheh said to Hovav b. Re‘u'el the Midianite, Mosheh's father-in-law, "We are setting out for the place of which Hashem has said, ‘I will give it to you.' Come with us and we will be generous with you, for Hashem has promised to be generous to Israel." He replied, "I will not gom but will return to my native land." He said, "Please do not leave us, inasmuch as you know where we should camp in the wilderness and can be our eyes. So if you come with us, we will extend to you the same bounty that Hashem grants us." | וַיֹּאמֶר מֹשֶׁה לְחֹבָב בֶּן רְעוּאֵל הַמִּדְיָנִי חֹתֵן מֹשֶׁה נֹסְעִים אֲנַחְנוּ אֶל הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר אָמַר יְהֹוָה אֹתוֹ אֶתֵּן לָכֶם לְכָה אִתָּנוּ וְהֵטַבְנוּ לָךְ כִּי יְהֹוָה דִּבֶּר טוֹב עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל: וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו לֹא אֵלֵךְ כִּי אִם אֶל אַרְצִי וְאֶל מוֹלַדְתִּי אֵלֵךְ: וַיֹּאמֶר אַל נָא תַּעֲזֹב אֹתָנוּ כִּי עַל כֵּן יָדַעְתָּ חֲנֹתֵנוּ בַּמִּדְבָּר וְהָיִיתָ לָּנוּ לְעֵינָיִם: וְהָיָה כִּי תֵלֵךְ עִמָּנוּ וְהָיָה הַטּוֹב הַהוּא אֲשֶׁר יֵיטִיב יְהֹוָה עִמָּנוּ וְהֵטַבְנוּ לָךְ: |
Yitzhak, Rabbi Levi of Berdichev (c. 1740-1810) was one of the leading rabbis and zaddikim in the third generation of the Hasidiism. One of the intimate disciples of the Maggid of Mezhirech, Rabbi Levi Yitzhak held several rabbinic posts, in which he fell into recurring battles with local mitnaggedim (opponents of Hasidism) before moving in 1785 to Berdichev, where he served until his death and earned his great renown. Rabbi Levi Yitzhak was instrumental in the establishment of Hasidism in central Poland and its flourishing in Lithuania and the Ukraine. His teachings, as found in his collection of sermons, Kedushat Levi, stress the principles of joy and devekut ("cleaving") to God, especially in the act of prayer, which should aim to reach hitpashetut ha-gashmiyyut ("disrobing of physicality"), such that one dwells alone in one's spirit, free of bodily trappings. He was a populist leader, sometimes traveling throughout the land with his minyan to introduce people to the joy in mitzvot and to recruit them to Hasidism. He stressed the good in humanity, stressing the preference of admonishing people through positive reinforcement, to help them elevate themselves to better conduct.
Sources Comparing Yoseph to an Ox
| Targum Yerushalmi (an interpretive translation) to Bereishit 49:6 | תרגום ירושלמי בראשית מט:ו |
| ...and when they pleased, they sold Yoseph their brother, who was compared to an ox. | ...וברעותהון זבינו יוסף אחיהון דמתיל לתורא. |
| Rashi on Bereishit 49:6 | רש"י, בראשית מט:ו |
| "When they pleased, they uprooted an ox."-They wanted to uproot Yoseph, who is called "ox", as it is said, "Like a firstling ox in his majesty" (Devarim 33:17) | "וברצונם עקרו שור" - רצו לעקור את יוסף שנקרא שור, שנאמר, "בכור שורו הדר לו" (דברים לג:יז). |
Zohar: The Zohar is the central work in the literature of Qabbalah (Jewish mysticism). Composed in the late 13th century, it was mythically attributed to the tanna (Mishnaic sage) Rabbi Shimon bar Yohai.
Zornberg , Dr. Avivah Gottlieb (1944- ), a native of Glasgow, Scotland and product of a prominent rabbinic family, has been a popular and widely recognized teacher of Torah in her home Jerusalem and around the English-speaking world since 1980. Holding a Ph.D. in English Literature from Cambridge University and degrees from Gateshead Seminary and Jerusalem Michlala, she taught English Literature at the Hebrew University from 1969 to 1976. Her approach centers on utilizing the tools of midrash, literary theory, and psychoanalysis to unpack the thick psychodynamics of the Biblical text. This approach is manifest in her two award-winning books, Genesis: the Beginning of Desire (Doubleday, 1995) and The Particulars of Rapture: Reflections on Exodus (Doubleday 2001). Her lectures and books attract wide excitement from learned Jews as well as newcomers to the Bible.